Rod-type periodical binder



Aug. 28, 1962 A. F. JOHNSQN ROD-TYPE PERIODICAL BINDER Filed Feb. 17, 1959 INVENTOR.

United States ate r 3,051,181 ROD-TYPE PERIODICAL BINDER Arthur F. Johnson, Northbrook, I]l., assignor to Anderson Tool & Mfg. Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 793,760 Claims. (Cl. 129-38) The improvements disclosed hereinafter relate to looseleaf and analogous binding devices, and more particularly to the so-called rod type of binder for collecting paged material such as magazines, catalogues, and the like, already bound in pamphlet or book form, between a set of covers, by use of a long rod laid into the hinge or binding gutter of the magazine or pamphlet, rods being secured at their ends in some manner and being removable by a slight bending thereof to spring them into or out of position.

A variety of arrangements have been proposed for removably capturing or attaching the rods to the set of covers and for spacing the rods from each other, and from the back of the binder, and many arrangements have been proposed for utilizing these binding rods in binders having flat and rounded backs.

Books, and binders intended to look like books, are generally preferred to have rounded backs or spines, and the preference extends not only to the appearance, but to the actual binding and paging of the leaf matter insofar as it actually has the opening and paging action of roundbacked, sewn, glued, or taped signatures or pages to provide a shallow reading gutter at any place between the endmost pages to which it may be opened.

The principal object of the present improvements is the provision of a sturdy rod-type binder and a rounded rod seating means which can be economically manufactured and which permits easy insertion and removal of the rods and bound material and which spaces the backs of the individually bound magazines or pamphlets from the backbone of the cover set, while at the same time affording a good reading gutter at any position.

A more detailed object is the provision of an economically produced rod-seating means comprising two mating metal forms or stampings which are adapted to be snapped into assembly to form a seat having an integral, arcuate gliding rail for the backs of the bound material, together with an arcuate rod seat containing rod-seating wells located along an arc concentric with the gliding rail, with the ends of the rods concealed from view and possible damaging contact with the fingers or clothing or furniture.

Additional objects and aspects of novelty and utility relate to details of the binding device described hereinafter in view of the annexed drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the loaded binder in closed condition;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of a partly loaded binder in open condition;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan detail of the backbone portion of a binder showing one of the rod seats;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail taken along lines 44 of FIG. 3, parts being seen in elevation;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional assembly detail taken through the two mating pieces of one of the rod seats in relation for snap-in assembly; 7

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional fragment taken along lines 66 of FIG. 4 to illustrate the seating of the binding rods.

The novel binder, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a pair of front and rear covers 10 and 11 hingedly attached to a flat backbone member 12, and the bound contents may consist of a number of individually bound magazines 13, each held by a long, thin, but springy wire rod 14 laid into the hinge or paging gutters 13G thereof, in the manner indicated in FIG. 4.

The rods 14 are each sprung at their opposite ends into special rod seats 15, 15A (FIGS. 1 and 2), respectively attached by rivets R to the inside head and foot portions of the backbone 12.

The construction of the rod seats 15 is of a character to facilitate mass production at economical prices, which is essential to marketing this class of binder, particularly where the binders are to be used for premium purposes, as in conjunction with the sale or promotion of magazines and periodical services.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 4 and 5, the novel rod seating means is formed by the assembly of a pair of mating metal stampings having the peculiar cross-sectional configuration seen in FIG. 5, the outer one of these forms or stampings being provided with a flat base portion 16 having an upset front lip 17 and an upstanding back wall 18, the upper edge of which is arcuate and formed over to provide a rounded headband edge 18X (FIGS. 3 and: 5). Two rivet holes 19A are formed in the base portion to register with a like pair of holes 19B formed in the companion stamping, as described hereinafter, the holes 19B, however, being upwardly bossed (FIGS. 3 and 5).

The configuration of the companion stamping is best understood from the sectional view of FIG. 5, wherein there is provided a base portion 26, an upset, arcuate front Wall 27, a similar, but larger, upstanding arcuate rear wall 28 with a rearwardly formed-over arcuate rim 28X adapted to nest in assembly beneath the arcuate headband edge 18X of the outer piece, it being noted, however, that the rim 28X is substantially wider than the edge 18X, and that the distance separating the front wall 27 from the rear Wall 28 is shorter than that separating the front lip 17 from the rear Wall 18 in the main outer stamping, with the result that in the assembled condition of these parts, as in FIG. 6, a rather deep cavity or well W is formed between said Walls 18 and 28 beneath the nested arcuate rims 18X, 28X, wherein the ends 14X of the binding rods are received and shielded while having some freedom (owing to the predetermined length of the rods) to shift slightly lengthwise during flexure, as indicated by such spacing upwardly from the latter as to space the rods 14 evenly above the arcuate gliding ledge 27X, as depicted at 142 (FIG. 6), so as to leave a predetermined average spacing of the rods above the ledge to allow generous freedom of movement of the hinge or binding gutters 13X (FIG. 4). of the magazines in various attitudes and manipulated positions in use, taking into account the possibility of a range of variation in thickness of the individual inserts.

The mating stampings are shown sectionally in FIG. 5 in position for assembly and the interfitting portions thereof are dimensioned, conformed, and situated so that the wide arcuate rim 28X can be pressed snugly beneath the arcuate head band lip 18X, while the base 26 of the secondary stamping fits snugly down upon the larger outer base 16 with the upset front wall 27 of the secondary piece snapping in behind the upset lip 17, so that the two pieces are very securely, but separably, joined into a unitary rod seating assembly.

There is sutficient yieldability of the wall members to permit separation of the two stampings from assembled interfit, should this be desirable, and for this purpose it is merely necessary to apply a lifting force to the inner stamping at the gliding ledge or by prying in between the respective base portions 16, 26.

In general, the two stampings will be provided with a finish coating of paint or plating or the like, and joined as a sort of subassembly for subsequent mounting in a set of covers, and once they are set home with rivets R (FIG. 6), the assembly for all practical purposes becomes permanent.

'I'hesnap fit assembly, in general, is a feature of manufacture having an important bearing on cost, because it is very difiicult to fabricate a rounded rod seat of the class described by stamping operations both from the standpoint of feasibility and economy.

The two-piece snap-in assembly described makes possible a rod seating unit having an arcuate rod-receiving and shielding well with an arcuate spacing, backing, and gliding ledge for the bound contents, together with a similarity of paging action and gutter-opening (and somewhat the appearance) of a round-back binding at very low cost.

It will now be understood that each of the two mating stampings is provided with a rear wall 18 or 28 struck up from an appertaining base portion 16 or 26, and that the first or innermost stamping also has a front wall 27 struck up from its base portion along the edge thereof opposite its backwall,;and that this front wall has an upper or free margin offset to form the gliding ledge 27X, while the other stampinghas only a low or narrow lip 17 along thecorresponding base side, so that in assembly, when the inside or second stamping is forced into assembly with the other one, the front wall 27 is locked behind the lip 17 and the two back walls are in spaced juxtaposition to define-the rod well with their respective marginal rims or offsets 18X, 28X, meeting to form what may be termed-for convenience a headband wall suggestive of the headband finish on a bound book in that its location and form lends a finished appearance to the binding means at .the top and foot of; the backbone panel.

The arcuate top rim 28X serves the multiple purpose of-affording a spacing means for locating the first rear wall from the second one to define the rod cavity or well, andv defining a further interlocking or retaining means cooperably with the rim 18X, and also defining in large part the arcuate top Wall or headband w-all means 18X, 28X which substantially closes ofi the well.

In assembling the two forms, they are brought into the relationship seen in FIG. 5 and snapped together by directingthe inner base portion 26 down upon the other base portion 16 and forcing the front wall 27 down hehind the retaining lip or flange 17. The arcuate character of the interfitted upper rim 18X, 28X prevents the assembled pieces from separating by lengthwise sliding of theinner base upon the outer base, and the narrow lip 17 prevents lateral separationunless sufficient force is used to flex the back wall to permit clearing thelip on reversemovement.

I I claim;

7 1'. In a binder of the rod type having covers joined with a back comprisinga pair of rod seats mounted in spaced relation on the back of the binderrwith binding rods of predetermined length spanning the space for seating of the respective ends of the rods therein; improved rod seating mean-scomprising in each seat a base-portion, a"

forward wall providing an arcuate gliding ledge upstanding from said base portion, and a hollow rearward wall structure constituting a well to receive and shield the ends of the binding rods, said hollow Wall structure having a series of rod-receiving holes arranged in arcuate concentricity with, and at a level above, the arcuate surface of said gliding ledge, said holes in each rod seat being axially aligned with the holes in the companion seat, and said rods being of springy character and of a length such that they are adapted by slight bending deflection thereof to be sprung into a pair of aligned rod holes in the pair of seats, said holes being situated at. a level to space said rods as aforesaid a predetermined distance above the appertaining gliding ledges, which is sufiicient to permit bound material of a predetermined maximum thickness at the binding gutter to glide on said ledge in a pivotal sense about the appertaining binding rod.

2. In a binder of the rod type including a set of springy binding rods of predetermined length together with a pair of rod seats attached to a backing member in predetermined spaced relation =t0 seat a plurality of said rods spanning the space therebetween, improvements comprising: binding seats each characterized by having an arcuate ledge member having spaced therefrom a cavitatious Wall structure parallel to said ledge member affording a well to receive the appertaining ends of said rods and havingv in a side thereof confronting the ledge member a series of rod receiving holes arranged uniformly in an arc concentric with the curvature of the ledge member but of greater radius of curvature than the latter whereby the holes are at a level uniformly above the ledge, so that the opposite ends of binding rods of the springy character and predetermined length as aforesaid will be enterable into one of a pair of aligned rod holes in the respective seats on springing a rod into position, whereby the ends of the rods will be concealed and shielded and each rod will lie at a predetermined spaced level above the ledges in the pair of seats.

3. The binder of claim 2 in which the binding seats are further characterized in that each seat is a composite member consisting of a pair of conjoined stampings each shaped to interfit with the other and interlock in unitary assembly, one of said stampings including said ledge member and a first part of said wall structure, and the other stamping including a second part of said wall structure positioned to confront the first wall part and define therewith a cavity constituting said well in the assembled condition of said stampings,

4. The construction of claim 3 further characterized in that said first and second wall parts of. the pair of interfitting stampings each have an arcuate offset marginal rim configuration substantially concentric with the curvature of said ledge member, and said rim configurations fit closely together in assembly to define an arcuate headband wall concealing the ends of the rods in the well formed between said first and second wall parts.

5. A rod-seating structure for binders of the class described comprising a pair of mating metal stampings, one of which includes a base portion having a narrow retaining lip formed along one edge and an upstanding back wall formed along an opposite edge, the other stamping having a base portion adapted to seat upon the base portion of the first stamping, and having along one edge an upstanding back wall of approximately the same configuration and size as the back wall on the first stamping, said second stamping having along an edge opposite the appertaining back wall, a lower front wall with an arcuate gliding ledge formed along its upper margin, the base portion of the second stamping fitting down upon the base portion of the first stamping with said'front wall snugly interfitted behind said lip and the rear Wall of the.

receiving and shielding the ends of binding rods therein, the rear wall of the second stamping having formed therein at a predetermined uniform level above said ledge a series of rod holes arranged along an arc concentrically of the center of curvature of the ledge, and both said rear Wall portions having marginal ofisets meeting to form a top headband wall for said well.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 344,036 Dom June 22, 1886 644,058 Caryl Feb. 27, 1900 742,979 Flanagan Nov. 3, 1903 1,494,730 Bolling May 20, 1924 

